One Good Dog
by Zanza8
Summary: A little something for man's best friend.
1. Chapter 1

Doc was sitting at the back table in the Longbranch with Matt and Kitty when they heard a familiar jingle of spurs and Festus bounced through the doors. "Mornin', Miss Kitty. Matthew." He stopped at the bar and smiled at Sam. "Mornin', Sam. Got any coffee, do you?"

Sam smiled back and poured a cup. "There you go."

"Much obliged." Festus took a sip, then made his way over to the table and sat down. "Doc, ain't you ready to go yet?"

Matt and Kitty exchanged a look as the old man said crankily, "I've been ready for over an hour. Unlike you, I don't sleep half the day when I'm planning on going fishing."

The deputy snorted. "Golly bill, Doc, it don't make no never mind what time we get there. It'll be just the same like it alwuz is. You'll start pitchin' them store-bought hooks in there..."

"You'll be asking to use my new fishing pole..."

"Scarin' away the fish..."

"All the latest in lures..."

"I'll be lucky if'n I can catch anythin' for supper..."

"Are you forgetting the three pound trout I caught last time?"

"That there wuz just dumb luck!"

"And you would know if there was anything dumb about it!"

Kitty poked Matt as Festus and Doc glared at each other. Smothering a grin, the marshal said, "Well, it sounds like you two are all set."

Doc started to speak, then jumped as something cold and wet touched his hand. "Kitty, since when do you allow dogs in here?"

Kitty looked sternly at Festus and he smiled sheepishly. "I sure am sorry 'bout that, Miss Kitty. I had him tied up but he musta pulled loose." At the sound of the deputy's voice, the dog put his paws on his knee and lashed his tail. He was big and woolly, with dark eyes and one crooked ear that gave him a lopsided charm, and the deputy grinned. "You know you ain't s'posed to be in here, don'tcha, boy?"

"Festus..." said Kitty. The dog dropped to all fours and went to her, laying his head in her lap and gazing up at her. Kitty felt herself weakening. "I told you last night..." The dog licked her hand and she stroked his head. "You...I..." The dog wriggled blissfully under her hand. "Oh, just don't make a habit of bringing him in here."

Matt snapped his fingers and the dog turned to him. "Festus, where did he come from?"

The deputy reached over to pat the dog. "He wuz with some trail hands last night. They said he wuz no good and the onliest reason they didn't shoot him wuz 'cause he warn't worth wastin' a bullet on, so they wuz fixin' on drownin' him soon's they got to some water deep enough."

Matt grinned. "So of course you just had to rescue him, didn't you?" The dog offered Matt his paw. "Good boy. What are you going to do with him?" The dog offered his paw again and the marshal took it again, scratching him behind the ears. "Good dog."

Festus looked abashed. "Well, I hadn't really thought 'bout what I wuz goin' to do with him, Matthew. I ain't even got 'round to namin' him yet. I reckon I'll study on it whilst me'n Doc is out fishin'."

Doc started. "Festus, you're not taking that dog, are you?" The dog sat next to the deputy and they both regarded the old man with steady eyes. "Look at the size of him! If you put him in the buggy we'll both have to walk." Festus rested his hand on the dog's head. "You know a fishing trip is no place for a dog." The deputy remained silent as Doc made a final valiant attempt to harden his heart, then threw his hands up in the air. "All right, bring him along! He can't possibly be any more trouble than you are."


	2. Chapter 2

The big dog ranged out onto the prairie, picked up a stick and ran back to the buggy, dancing up and down until Festus pulled on the reins. He reached over and took the stick, throwing it as hard as he could, and the dog barked happily and chased it.

Doc ran his hand over his face. "Festus, we're never going to get anywhere if you keep stopping to throw sticks for that dog."

The deputy grinned. "Reckon yore right, Doc. Mebbe I'll get down and walk along for a while."

"No, you drive," said the old man gruffly. "I'll walk." Festus regarded his friend with surprise and Doc snapped, "You've been going so slow I'm getting stiff sitting here!" He climbed down and the dog ran to him, sitting up with the stick. The old man took the stick and threw it and Festus shook his head.

"That'll settle him down." Doc looked around suspiciously. "He's gonna get real tired of fetchin' that stick if'n you cain't throw it no further'n that." He clucked softly to the horse, going on as if to himself, "Yessir, a big dog like that wants to run, not take two steps back'n forth..."

The horse ambled on as Doc walked alongside and Festus hummed softly. Then a rattlesnake coiled in the road struck. There was a rending sound as the horse screamed and reared, turning the buggy over and breaking free of the harness. Then all was quiet on the prairie once more.


	3. Chapter 3

Sam was at the bar polishing glasses and Kitty was at the back table going over her ledger when the dog ran in. He went straight to Sam and the bartender bent over to scratch behind his ears. "Looks like Festus and Doc are back."

Kitty shook her head in exasperation. "I really am going to tell Festus to keep that dog out of here." Sam bit his lip to hide a smile. "Don't look at me like that, Sam. I mean it. First it followed him in, now it's coming in before him...this time I really am going to get tough with him."

"Whatever you say, Miss Kitty. You're the boss." Sam's voice was unnaturally solemn and Kitty started to laugh. They both looked expectantly at the door, exchanging puzzled looks when Festus didn't appear. The bartender went to the doorway with the dog right at his heels, looked out at the street, then came back slowly to the table. "Nobody's out there." The dog was pawing him frantically now and Sam patted him on the head. "Miss Kitty, I don't like this."

Kitty looked thoughtfully at the dog. "He hasn't been with Festus for very long...he could have run away from them."

"Or they could be in trouble." Sam went behind the bar for his coat. "I'm going for the marshal."


	4. Chapter 4

Doc sat up slowly, shaking his head to clear it. A moment of panic when he couldn't move his legs passed quickly as he realized they were pinned under the buggy. The old man carefully freed himself, gasping in pain and falling back as he tried to get to his feet. A bad sprain at the very least...now where was Festus? He looked around and saw the deputy lying face down next to the buggy. "Festus!" Doc turned him over, cradling his head on his arm. "Festus, can you hear me?"

His friend blinked up at him, dazed. "Doc? Doc...what...what happened?"

The old man took a moment to get it clear in his own mind, then said, "The horse spooked at a snake in the road...turned the buggy over."

Festus pushed himself up. "Where's the horse at now?"

"He ran off." Doc put his hand on the deputy's shoulder. "Festus, I can't put any weight on my leg. I know this is hard on you, but you have to go back to Dodge for help."

"I cain't do that, Doc."

The old man had known this would be his friend's first reaction. "I know you don't want to leave me here, but you have to. We can't just wait and hope somebody finds us."

Festus took a deep breath. "Doc, I know it's a pretty sorry lookout if'n we just set here, and I'd go if'n I could, but I cain't."

Doc remained patient. "Why can't you?"

The deputy passed a trembling hand before his eyes. "I cain't see nothin'."


	5. Chapter 5

Matt and Sam drove along the road in the livery wagon, following the big black dog. The bartender had gone up to Doc's office for medical supplies and taken a bottle of whiskey for good measure, and Matt had loaded the wagon with all the blankets in the jail. When the sun went down so did the temperature and now Sam looked over at the marshal and said uneasily, "I sure hope we're following the right road."

"We are." Matt nodded at the two narrow tracks stretching before them. "That's Doc's buggy, all right. If you got down you'd see the chip out of the left wheel."

Sam leaned over and peered at the ground, then straightened up. "Well, I hope we find them soon."

The marshal took off his hat to wipe his forehead, clapped it back on his head, and blew out his breath. "So do I, Sam. So do I."


	6. Chapter 6

"Festus!"

"Hmmmm?"

"You have to stay awake."

Doc shook the deputy by the shoulder and Festus pushed his hand away. "Oh, Doc, cain't you leave me be? I ain't feelin' so pert and..." He yawned widely. "And I'm so tired. If'n you'd just leave me in peace..." His voice was fading and Doc shook him again.

"Festus, you can't go to sleep. You've got a concussion. That's why everything is so blurry."

The deputy's soft hazel eyes groped in Doc's direction. "You'd ort to let me get some rest...prob'ly feel better...woke up..."

"Festus!" There was no response and the old man ran his hand over his face, then looked around at the sound of hoofbeats. He'd been imagining that sound for hours and was inclined to dismiss it, but there was dust along the road. Doc raised himself up and waved his arms. "Over here!"

Sam pointed as he spotted the old man and Matt drove up to the ruined buggy and jumped down, the bartender right behind him. "Doc, what happened?"

Doc caught Matt's hand. "Snake...spooked the horse...Festus has a concussion...my leg might be broken..."

"All right, all right," said the marshal gently. "What should we do?"

Aware he'd been babbling in his relief, Doc struggled to regain his composure. "I need some splints on this leg...Sam, can you get Festus in the wagon? Be careful of his head and see if you can wake him up...he shouldn't sleep yet. Get him talking if you can."

"All right, Doc." Sam carried the deputy to the wagon and settled him on the blankets while Matt splinted the old man's leg.

"How's that?"

"Not bad." Doc looked over at the wagon. "Go check Festus."

The marshal went to the wagon and spoke to Sam, then returned. "Sam woke him up for a minute, then he fell asleep again."

Doc sighed with relief. "As long as he can be roused, he should be all right. It won't be easy but I want Sam to do his best to keep Festus awake till we get back to Dodge." The old man ran his hand over his face. "Thank God you showed up when you did...I didn't think anybody would ever find us."

Matt smiled. "Well, it wasn't hard with that big dog leading the way." Doc's face drained of color and the marshal steadied him. "Doc?"

"How did you find us?" whispered the old man.

The marshal frowned. "Festus' dog came to Dodge to get us. Why? What's wrong?"

Doc turned his head and Matt looked over his shoulder. The dog lay under the front of the buggy, unmoving, and the marshal leaned closer as Doc's voice became almost inaudible. "That dog couldn't have gotten you, Matt. He was killed in the crash."


	7. Chapter 7

It was a month later. A soft breeze sighed over the prairie, rustling the tall grass and diffusing the scent of a million wildflowers. Under the trees bars of light alternated with patches of shade and the river was alive with colors as the setting sun poured the last warmth of the day over the land. Loaded with their day's catch, Festus and Doc strolled along in silence until they reached the buggy and the deputy unhooked the back. "Gimme them fish, Doc."

The old man handed over his fish, then stowed his fishing pole and looked at the sky. "Looks like another good day for fishing tomorrow."

Festus came to stand beside him. "Sure does." He sighed and picked up a stick, throwing it as hard as he could and smiling at Doc. "I keep expectin' him to brang it back. Kinda silly, ain't it?"

Doc bent over for a stick and threw it. "Oh, I don't know about that, Festus." He smiled affectionately at the deputy. "He was there when we needed him...maybe he really is just over the next hill." Festus nodded, still smiling, and they got in the buggy and drove off, leaving the wind to dust away the marks of their passing, down to the faint pawprints that followed them home.


End file.
